Motor suspension for electric motors.



No 799,264 PATENTBD SEPT. 12, 1905.

.E. D. PRIEST.

MOTOR SUSPENSION FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11.1905.

2 SHBETSSHEET 1 Inventor: Edwcwol D. Priest. e;

Witnesses.

No. 799,264. PATENTED SEPT. 12, 1905. E. D. PRIEST.

MOTOR SUSPENSION FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION TILED FEB. 11.1905.

Fig 5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses. Inventor": m, f/ZA Edwcmd D. PTies-b.

UNITED sTATEi aTENT OFFICE.

EDWVARD D. PRIEST. OF SOHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEN- ERAL ELECTRIC OOMPAN Y, A CORPORATION OF NEIV YORK.

MOTOR SUSPENSION FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

No. 799,264. Specification of Letters Patent. P en ept. 12, 1905.

Application filed February 11,1905. Serial No. 245,263.

it y Con/067%: the truck-frame or vehicle-frame. By this ar- 55 Be it known that I, EDWARD D. PRIEST, a rangement each motor is free to oscillate to citizen of the United States, residing at Schensome extent about the driving-axle independectady, county of Schenectady, State of New ently of the other motor. Each motor is pro- 5 York, have invented certain new and useful vided with a pinion secured to its armature Improvements in Motor Suspension for Elec-' or rotor-shaft, the two pinions in turn mesh- 60 tric Vehicles, of which the following is a ing with a gear-wheel carried by the drivingspecification. axle. Since it is customary to cover gear- The present invention relates to electrictrains with a protecting casing or shield, I

I ally-operated vehicles, and particularly to an have provided a casing inclosing the entire arrangement of driving-motors for such vegear mechanism secured to the casing of one hicles. of the motors and movable with it.

It is sometimes difficult to obtain enough The present invention is illustrated in two power from a single motor of dimensions perof its preferred forms in the accompanying 5 mitted by the space available for motors on drawings, in which-- electrically-propelled vehicles, and each of Figurel is a plan view of a pair-of driv- 7 the driving-axles must therefore be provided ing-wheels and axle having applied thereto with two motors. By connecting the two mothe present invention. Fig. 2 is a side eletors in series ahigh-line potential may be emvation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, one of ployed-namely, twice the usual potential. the wheels, however, being removed for the here two motors are employed to drive the sake of clearness. Fig. 3 is a view similar same axle, the construction is simplified by to Fig. 1 of a further modified form of the having a gear on the axle which meshes with present invention. Fig. 1 is a side elevation the pinions of trains of gearing of both moof the gear-casing, and Fig. 5 shows a detail.

5 tors and by supporting the motors partially Similar reference characters will be used from the axle which they serve to drive. It throughout the specification and drawings to is desirable, however, to have the motors so indicatelike parts. supported and arranged that each is free to Reference being had to Figs. 1 and 2. A repmove independently of the other motor within resents a driving-axle of a car or locomotive,

3 certain limits in order that each motor may and a (z are the driving-wheels.

at all times freely adjust itself as occasion B andO are two motors, which may be, ex- 5 may require. cept as hereinafter specified, of any suitable The object of the present invention is to form or construction,since the present invenprovide means for partially supporting a pair tion relates rather to the manner of support- 35 of motors upon a single driving-axle in such ing the motors than to the construction of the a manner that each motor may move as a unit motors themselves. Motor B is provided with 9 within certain limits independently of the a pair of projecting arms 11, which are proother. vided with cylindrical openings 2, parallel with A further object of the present invention the axis of the motor. These openings may 4 is to associate a pair of motors with a drivbe of substantially the same diameter as the ing-axle in such a manner that each motor may diameter of the axle A, whereby upon posimove independently of the other within detioning the axle within these openings a bearfined limits, but will be maintained in operaing is provided for one side of the motor; but tive relation to a common driven gear upon I prefer to place a sleeve or bushing 3 within 45 the axle. each of these openings in order that the wear A further object of the present invention due to the rotation of the axle may be borne consists in providing a simple and compact by the sleeve. In the preferred construction support for a pair of motors in operative reonly half of the cylindrical openings 2 is lation to a common driving-axle. formed in each of the arms themselves, the

5 To the above ends I locate two motors upon other half being formed in detachable caps opposite sides of the driving-axle, hinge them 4: L, which are bolted to the under side of the 5 together, and provide them with a common arms 1 1, as most clearly shown in Fig. 5. By support upon the axle, one end of each moremoving the bolts6the capsetmay be dropped tor being supported in the usual manner from and the motor lifted from the axle. The motor C is provided with two projecting arms 7 7, similar to the arms 1 1, but spaced at a greater distance apart. These arms are provided with bearings 8 8, which do not engage directly with the axle or with the sleeve 3, but fit cylindrical bosses 9 9, projecting laterally from the arms 1 1 or from the arms 1 1 and caps 4: 4. Consequently the two motors have a common bearing upon the axle and are hinged together by means of the bearings 8 and bosses 9. The bearings 8 are preferably formed in two halves, one of which is located in cap-plates 10, bolted to the under side of the arms 7 by means of bolts 11, whereby upon removing the bolts 11 and the cap-plates 10 the motor C may be lifted out of position. The particular arrangement of supporting-arms described is not essential, since one of the motors may be supported upon the axle in any suitable manner.

The motors B and C are provided, respectively, with pinions I) c, which preferably mesh directly with a pinion A, secured to the driving-axle, since each motor is pivotally sup: ported upon the axis about which the pinion A rotates. Oscillations of the motors do not produce a disarrangement of the gear connections, since the pinions 5 and 0 simply travel about the periphery of the gear-wheel during such oscillations.

D is a casing inclosing the gearing and is preferably supported directly upon one of the motors. As illustrated, the casing is provided with a lug 12, which is bolted or otherwise secured to the casing of the motor C, and with a second lug 13, which is attached, by means of bolts 14 or other fastening means, to the end of the adjacent arm 7.. The gear-casing is therefore rigidly secured to the motor 0 and moves therewith. The opening 15 in the gear-casing through which the shaft of the motor B passes is made elongated, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, in order to afford a clearance between the inner wall of the casing and the motor-shaft and permit freedom of relative movement of the motor.

Each motor is partially supported upon the truck-frame or vehicle-frame E in any usual manner, as by means of bars 16 and 17, bolted to the respective motors and supported at their ends upon springs 18, carried by the frame E.

In Fig. 3 a somewhat different modification is shown. The motor B isjournaled directly upon the axle, as before, by means of bearings 19 and the arms 20; but the motor C is simply hung from trunnions 21, which are provided with bearings 22 in the outer ends of the arms 20. In this construction, as in the other, the motors are partially supported upon the truck or vehicle frame, and each is free to swing about said axle independently of the other.

While I have described the present invention with some particularity as embodied in two of its forms, I do not desire to limit the present invention to either of the forms shown and described, except as indicated specifically in some of the claims, since in its broader aspects the present invention may be embodied in various forms.

VVha-t I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination, a driving-axle, a pair of motors geared thereto, a supporting-bearing upon the axle for one of said motors, and a flexible connection between said motors.

2. In combination, a driving-axle, a pair of motors geared thereto, a supporting-bearing upon the axle for one of'said motors, and a hinged connection between said motors.

'3. In combination, a driving-axle, a motor having an elongated bearing member journaled upon said axle and a second motor journaled upon said elongated bearing member.

4:. In combination, a driving-axle, a pair of motors geared thereto, and means for supporting the motors upon the axle so that each motor may oscillate about said axle independently of the other.

5. In combination, a driving-axle, a motor provided with arms having bearings upon said axle, a second motor pivotallysecured to said arms, and gearing between said motors and the driving-axle.

6. In combination, a driving-axle, a gearwheel secured to said axle, a pair of drivingmotors pivotally supported upon said axle so as to be movable independently of each other, and a pinion associated with each motor and meshing with said gear-wheel.

7. In combination, a driving-axle, a gearwheel secured thereto, a pair of motors pivotally supported upon said axle so as to have independent movements relative thereto,a pinion associated with each of said motors and meshing with said gear-wheels, and a gearcasing carried by one of said motors.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of February, 1905.

EDWARD D. PRIEST.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD. 

